Rapist incurs customary fine

BAJAWA, East Nusa Tenggara: An employee from the Ngada regency Ministry of Public Works office and a subdistrict head have been ordered to pay customary fines for raping and molesting underage girls.

The ministry employee, identified only as DD, was ordered to pay Rp 2 million, and provide a pig, 20 kilograms of rice and 15 bottles of locally made liquor moke to the family of the 13-year- old girl, identified only as YS, whom he raped last month in the Aimere subdistrict.

The chief of the Aimere subdistrict, who was identified as YM, received a more lenient sentence of a Rp 1 million payment to the family of another 13-year-old girl identified as YL.

The two girls live in Aimere.

The local administration's acting secretary, Djidon de Haan, confirmed on Monday the sexual assault involving the two civil servants. De Haan said the two state employees faced dismissal for a "gross violation of ethics".

De Haan added he had asked the police to investigate the cases.

The cases were revealed after the two victims were overheard teasing each other during an argument about the sexual assault they had suffered. (amd)